Qiskit

Qiskit
Company type	Open-source software framework
Industry	Quantum computing software
Founded	2017; 9 years ago
Founder	IBM Research
Area served	Global
Products	Qiskit SDK, Qiskit Runtime, Qiskit Serverless, Qiskit Add-ons
Owner	IBM
Parent	IBM Quantum
Website	qiskit.org

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Qiskit, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 9 August 2025

Qiskit (short for Quantum Information Software Kit) is a high-performance, open-source software framework built on Python for quantum computing. Created by IBM Research and introduced in 2017, it provides a suite of tools to design quantum algorithms by defining quantum circuits and operations that can be executed on either quantum hardware or classical simulators. The Qiskit ecosystem includes a fundamental SDK along with additional utilities and services such as Qiskit Runtime, which facilitates optimized quantum computations via cloud infrastructure. Users have the capability to develop quantum circuits targeting actual quantum processors—such as those based on superconducting qubits—or compatible simulation platforms. Over time, the platform has expanded with new elements like Qiskit Functions and various extensions, cultivating an open-source environment supportive of quantum research and practical application development.

Qiskit SDK

At the heart of Qiskit lies its SDK, the primary software development kit designed for constructing and manipulating complex quantum circuits, operators, and primitives. Packaged as the Python library qiskit, it enables developers to build quantum circuits, handle operators, and connect seamlessly with both simulators and physical quantum devices. Serving as the backbone of the Qiskit suite, this SDK delivers the most extensive feature set, underpinning other modules within the ecosystem.

Its core capabilities include modules dedicated to circuit assembly and operation registration, a comprehensive collection of predefined quantum logic gates and parameterized circuit templates, a quantum information module handling states and operators, plus a transpiler that refines circuits to suit specific hardware architectures. For instance, users can craft circuits through an accessible Python interface and employ the transpiler to tailor these circuits according to device connectivity constraints, optimizing gate counts and circuit depth. Additionally, the SDK supports noise modeling alongside primitives—elemental components such as samplers and estimators—that serve as foundational units for sophisticated quantum algorithms runnable on local simulators or cloud-based platforms. Collectively, these features establish the Qiskit SDK as a versatile environment for developing hardware-independent quantum algorithms.

Qiskit Runtime

Qiskit Runtime is IBM’s cloud-native execution platform engineered to enhance the performance of quantum computations on IBM Quantum hardware. It achieves improved efficiency by reducing communication delays between classical control systems and quantum processors while incorporating advanced error mitigation strategies. By processing quantum circuits closer to the physical devices within IBM’s cloud infrastructure, it enables more intricate workflows than conventional job submissions, thereby boosting scalability and throughput—particularly beneficial for iterative algorithms that require multiple circuit evaluations.

The service synergizes classical computing resources with quantum hardware to elevate result fidelity through error suppression techniques including dynamical decoupling, zero-noise extrapolation, and correction of readout errors. Qiskit Runtime supports diverse execution modes designed to accommodate various use cases: single job mode for executing individual circuits; interactive session mode which reduces overhead in iterative algorithm runs; and batch mode that allows concurrent processing of multiple jobs. These options provide users with adaptable approaches for managing complex quantum experiments and computational workflows.

Qiskit Serverless

Qiskit Serverless enhances the Qiskit framework by facilitating distributed, cloud-native quantum–classical processing tasks. It streamlines the allocation of computational resources and the execution of quantum workflow components either on the IBM Quantum cloud or across various cloud platforms, catering to utility-scale quantum applications. This functionality is especially crucial for hybrid algorithms and extensive experiments that demand synchronized quantum and classical computation.

Its principal features encompass:

Distributing classical computations embedded in quantum workflows, such as preprocessing input data or postprocessing quantum outcomes, by leveraging cloud infrastructure to speed up overall processing.
Maintaining persistent cloud-based workloads that allow quantum jobs to proceed uninterrupted even if the user's local system disconnects, guaranteeing continuous experiment operation and data retrieval.
Hosting reusable programs—including quantum applications or algorithmic routines—on the IBM Quantum Platform for on-demand execution, promoting collaborative efforts and scalable reuse of custom algorithms like those used in optimization or chemical simulations.

By abstracting the management of cloud resources, Qiskit Serverless facilitates seamless scaling of quantum experiments and their integration into larger computational workflows.

Qiskit Add-ons

Qiskit Add-ons (often stylized as Qiskit addons) are independent, modular extensions designed to augment Qiskit's functionality for developing quantum algorithms. Built atop Qiskit's foundational framework, these packages integrate smoothly to assist in algorithm design and scaling. Each add-on is distributed as a standalone Python package (for example, qiskit-addon-sqd for SQD) accessible through the Python Package Index (PyPI). These official extensions improve processes such as circuit mapping, optimization, and output post-processing.

Approximate Quantum Compilation (AQC) – qiskit-addon-aqc-tensor. Employs tensor network techniques to reduce quantum circuit size while maintaining high fidelity.
Multi-Product Formulas (MPF) – qiskit-addon-mpf. Mitigates Trotter errors in Hamiltonian simulations by combining several circuit runs using weighted formula approaches.
Operator Backpropagation (OBP) – qiskit-addon-obp. Decreases circuit depth by eliminating certain final gates and compensating through additional measurement steps.
Sample-based Quantum Diagonalization (SQD) – qiskit-addon-sqd. Processes bitstring outputs from quantum executions to more precisely estimate eigenvalues and eigenvectors of large operators under noisy conditions.

Hosted as open-source projects within IBM Quantum’s GitHub repository, these add-ons empower researchers to implement sophisticated methods without inflating the core Qiskit SDK.

Qiskit Ecosystem

The Qiskit ecosystem consists of open-source initiatives that complement Qiskit but exist outside its central SDK. Created by IBM Quantum alongside the user community, these tools enhance capabilities in areas such as simulation, job orchestration, and error correction. IBM’s modular design supports seamless incorporation of third-party packages, enabling users to tailor quantum workflows with specialized resources.

Notable ecosystem components include:

Qiskit Aer (qiskit-aer) – IBM Quantum’s premier high-performance simulator for quantum circuits featuring multiple backends and realistic noise modeling. It is extensively utilized for algorithm verification prior to hardware implementation.
qBraid SDK (qbraid) – Developed by qBraid, this platform-independent runtime and cloud orchestration tool streamlines management of quantum workloads across various providers, complementing Qiskit with enhanced cloud deployment functionality.
mthree (mthree) – An IBM Quantum library implementing Matrix-free Measurement Mitigation (M3), which enhances qubit measurement precision by modeling readout errors and applying corrections without resorting to large matrix inversions.

These ecosystem projects broaden Qiskit's applicability beyond its core SDK by enabling comprehensive simulation testing, multi-cloud execution strategies, and improved accuracy in experimental results. A complete listing is accessible on the Qiskit Ecosystem page, fostering community engagement and discovery within this dynamic quantum computing environment.

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